Poof! Miami-set 'Magic City' to disappear on Starz

“Magic City,” the filmed-in-Miami Starz network series about a mobbed-up luxury hotel and the political and cultural turmoil of the Miami-Havana nexus in 1959, has been canceled, according to a report in the entertainment trade publication Variety. Friday’s Season 2 finale will be its last episode, Variety said.

The sexy and cinematic series is Miami Beach native Mitch Glazer’s nostalgic ode to the glamour of the same era trafficked by the AMC hit “Mad Men,” but with the obligatory kink and menace spiked with provocative social commentary on the period’s politics and racial prejudices.

The well-regarded cast includes Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Olga Kurylenko, Yul Vazquez and Golden Globe nominee Danny Huston, as well as a host of local actors in smaller roles. The current season had added more muscle in the form of Oscar-nominee James Caan and Carol City rapper Rick Ross.

The series debuted last year to critical appreciation, but was saddled with a tough Friday-night time slot. In interviews Glazer acknowledged that “Magic City” was an expensive series to produce: “Each episode is like a small film.”

A statement from Starz read: “We are tremendously proud of the series and everyone involved. From the writers, to the cast and crew, it has been an incredible collaboration. This was a story born from Mitch Glazer’s singular vision of Miami, the Magic City of his childhood, and we are grateful to him for bringing it to life on Starz. The season’s story arc will allow us to deliver a satisfying conclusion to the series, and we thank all the fans who checked in to the Miramar Playa.”

Variety reported the series’ viewership topped out at 500,000 viewers for its most-watched episodes, and the news brought a smattering of protest on the Variety site.

Said a commenter with the handle “Nat_MIA_KEEP THE MAGIC ON THE AIR”: “I am in shock! This is the best series to air since the Sopranos … As Miami natives, my husband and I had a great appreciation for the predominantly Cuban cast, the beautiful and authentic storyline and direction… I am at a loss for words and really, really upset right now. Everyone who loved and appreciated Magic City should boycott Starz network until they reconsider and KEEP MAGIC CITY ON THE AIR!!!!!”